Naruto: This Genius is Somewhat Ordinary-Chapter 434

Hoshizora Town. Civilian District.

Fujimoto Tōma stopped walking.

Two people stood in his path.

One was short, radiating pure irritation, with blonde twin-tails and a permanent scowl.

The other was taller, also blonde, with long slanted bangs and a relaxed posture that screamed untrustworthy but competent.

"You are?" Tōma asked calmly.

He couldn’t sense chakra from them.

If they were civilians, blocking him was stupid.

If they weren’t... this was getting interesting.

"You’re the shinobi called Fujimoto Tōma, right?" the short one snapped.

"I am. And you are?"

The laid-back one answered before she could explode.

"Hirako Shinji. And this is Sarugaki Hiyori."

Tōma blinked once.

"...Former Fifth Division Captain?"

He let out a quiet laugh.

"Right. You’d be here. You came to the civilian world with Mizuno Kagetora."

Shinji looked genuinely surprised.

"...Didn’t expect a newer generation officer to know us."

"I read history sometimes."

Then Tōma tilted his head.

"So why approach me? Officially, I’m still a Medical Division Deputy Commander. And you’re technically fugitives. I’m supposed to arrest you."

"You won’t," Shinji said simply.

"...Maybe," Tōma yawned. "Limiter bodies from Kagetora, right?"

"Yeah."

"Thought so."

That explained why he sensed nothing.

"Get to the point," Tōma said. "You didn’t ambush me for small talk."

Shinji’s expression turned serious.

"We want your help dealing with someone."

"From the Shinobi Forces?" Tōma asked casually.

"Yes."

Of course it was.

Shinji had already run the calculations.

Tōma had defeated the current Battle Division Captain. Someone even older captains called a monster.

And personality-wise?

He didn’t care about the Grand Council’s politics.

The final push had been Isshin’s case.

Tōma had watched someone break major regulations... and did nothing.

Maybe even helped.

That meant he was usable.

If they had Tōma’s help... their odds skyrocketed.

Tōma studied Shinji silently.

Yeah.

He already knew who they meant.

The real puppet master.

The one standing behind most disasters.

But still.

"...Why should I help you?"

"—Tch!"

Hiyori nearly launched into a rant, but Shinji blocked her.

Picking a fight here would be suicide.

"I heard you like fighting," Shinji said carefully.

"Kagetora told you? Not wrong. But you might not meet my standards."

"Wouldn’t we find out by fighting?" Shinji countered.

Tōma paused.

Then smiled.

"...Fair point. Lead the way."

Shinji and Hiyori exchanged relieved glances.

He really wasn’t worried about traps.

Probably because of that rumored spatial-type sword ability.

Traps didn’t mean much if your opponent could ignore distance itself.

They stopped at an ordinary house.

Now that he focused...

Yeah.

Multiple high-level chakra signatures inside.

Sealing specialists too.

Tōma followed them through a hidden tunnel into a massive underground training space.

Several people waited there.

"...Yeah. Makes sense," Tōma muttered.

His eyes moved across them.

"Former Seventh Division Captain. Aikawa Love."

"Former Third Division Captain. Otoribashi Rōjūrō."

"Former Ninth Division Captain. Muguruma Kensei."

Four captain-level fighters including Shinji.

Plus lieutenant-level fighters.

This wasn’t a small faction.

This was a private army.

"Ooooh, he’s cute," a braided girl in a sailor uniform whispered, eyes sparkling.

Kensei ignored her and looked at Shinji.

"Did he agree?"

"Not yet," Shinji said. "Looks like we need to prove ourselves."

Tōma rolled his shoulders slightly.

"So? One at a time, or all together?"

Silence fell.

Even knowing his reputation... that was still insulting.

Except for one massive, round, gentle-looking man who just seemed tired.

Shinji sighed.

"...You really did beat that monster, huh."

"I brought you here," Shinji said, stepping forward and drawing his blade. "So I’ll go first."

Others stepped back.

Watching.

Testing.

Tōma glanced at Shinji’s weapon.

Already released.

Interesting rectangular guard design. Hollow frame details.

Unusual balance.

"...Good," Tōma said softly.

Then stepped out of his limiter body.

No point using it.

It would shatter instantly in a real fight.

Then he released his chakra pressure.

The underground space trembled.

Lieutenant-level fighters instantly felt like their lungs were being crushed.

Captain-level fighters held steady... but barely.

His earlier arrogance suddenly didn’t feel like arrogance anymore.

Tōma pointed Still-Mind Mirror at Shinji.

"Come. Show me everything."

Sweat rolled down Shinji’s temple.

Testing with basic swordsmanship was pointless.

So he committed.

"Collapse... Sakanade."

His blade shifted.

Circular hollow pommel.

Five circular holes along the blade.

He spun it lazily.

At first...

Nothing happened.

Then Tōma smelled something faint.

And the world flipped.

Sky became ground.

Ground became sky. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Left, right, forward, back...

Everything reversed.

"...That’s your release?" Tōma said quietly.

Honestly impressive.

Most fighters would be useless in seconds.

Unfortunately.

He wasn’t most fighters.

His body control was absolute.

Especially inside Still-Mind mental state.

He could fight blind if needed.

"...Already adapted?" Shinji said, stunned.

"Of course," Tōma said lightly. "This doesn’t affect me much."

Alarm bells screamed inside Shinji’s skull.

Tōma didn’t bluff.

Ever.

Then—

Thunder cracked.

"Ichi Form: Thunder Flash."

Tōma vanished.

Appeared behind Shinji.

Shinji looked down.

His uniform... sliced open.

Perfect line.

His neck would’ve been next.

And he knew something worse.

By the time he heard Tōma speak...

The attack was already finished.

Sound was slower than Tōma.

Shinji turned slowly.

"...You really nullified it?"

Tōma said nothing.

Just watched.

"You have a second release, right?" Tōma said. "Use it."

"...Can’t," Shinji said. "Not here. Not one-on-one either."

"...Then you lose."

"As a shinobi, yeah."

Then Shinji smiled strangely.

"But not as... this."

He pulled out a mask.

White.

Bone-like.

Corrupted entity chakra.

Tōma’s eyes sharpened.

Then Shinji put it on.

His presence exploded upward.

Corruption energy fused with his own chakra.

The mask reshaped into a full helmet, samurai-style.

Tōma smiled.

Not because of the power boost.

Because of the concept.

Hybridization.

Cross-species energy fusion.

Now that...

That was fascinating.

And very, very useful.